Polk deputies say Tommy LeJeune stole nearly $25K from booster club.

Published: Friday, January 24, 2014 at 9:40 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, January 24, 2014 at 9:40 p.m.

WINTER HAVEN | A Winter Haven High School assistant football head coach who died Tuesday appears to have committed suicide as a police investigation uncovered his embezzlement of thousands of dollars from a booster club fund.

Thomas "Tommy" LeJeune, 50, was found dead in his mobile home on West Lake Eloise Road on Tuesday by Winter Haven police who were asked to check on his well-being because he had not shown up for work at Regency Center for Women and Infants in Winter Haven, police said.

The death appears to be a suicide, Polk's medical examiner said. It occurred just days after LeJeune failed to arrange an interview with Winter Haven police as part of an investigation that found he used a Blue Devils Touchdown Club credit card to improperly rent cars and hotel rooms and buy prescription drugs, among other purchases, at a cost of almost $25,000.

Winter Haven Police also are investigating allegations that the coach purchased alcohol and rented hotel rooms for Winter Haven High School football players and students. But they have yet to confirm those allegations and know of no victims, Winter Haven Police Chief Gary Hester said.

No Blue Devils Touchdown Club officer has been willing to comment about the investigation or LeJeune's death. Reached by phone Friday, club President Helen O'Leary declined to comment.

"Please don't ask me about this," O'Leary said. Then she hung up.

Club treasurer Jane Donalson did not return calls seeking comment. The club's only other officer was LeJeune. He was the vice president and was roommates with O'Leary's son, Daniel O'Leary, who also is a Winter Haven assistant football coach.

Winter Haven High School Principal Gina Williams acknowledged the investigation into LeJeune but said there had been no suspicions of improper activity by LeJeune before that.

LeJeune had resigned his position as a community coach before his death, Winter Haven football head coach Charlie Tate said Friday. As a community coach, he was paid but was not an employee at the school. He was subject to the School Board's background checking procedures, though.

Tate said LeJeune resigned during the winter break, citing personal reasons. At the time, Tate did not know of an investigation, he said.

"I didn't get all the details, but he felt like at this point in time he didn't have the time to continue with what he had been doing," Tate said.

"He did not express that (he was under investigation) to me. But obviously, at this point in time it seems to be a reality."

Tate declined to discuss the allegations against LeJeune but said he had never received a complaint about the coach.

"Tommy was a very loyal, very hard-working, very committed to ensuring that our kids had a great experience," Tate said.

"He came to work on a daily basis. He was in charge of our equipment and did a great job."

LeJeune has been a Winter Haven High football coach for 12 years and is known to frequent the school's other sporting events, Williams said.

Police say the embezzling began in April 2010 and that touchdown club officers were aware of it before the department began its investigation Dec. 20 after Williams notified them, Hester said.

"Apparently at some point, the booster club members had already approached him ... and wanted to give him the opportunity to pay them back," Hester said.

The Winter Haven police investigation intensified Jan. 3, Hester said, when police were able to determine $24,815.94 had been spent on things not related to the support of the football program. About $16,000 was spent on rental cars alone, Hester said. Another $1,400 was withdrawn from an ATM. The money also was spent at Publix pharmacies, Walmart, motels and hotels and restaurants.

LeJeune used a Touchdown Club credit/debit card to make the purchases, police said. Tate said he was a liaison between the football team and the booster club and became the vice president of the club about four years ago.

The amount of money embezzled could be higher, Hester said. Despite his death, the investigation is ongoing.

LeJeune was aware of the investigation before his death, Hester said.

"We had actually monitored communication between him and other folks where he had stated that the investigation was occurring and that we would find additional things that he had misappropriated," Hester said.

Polk County sheriff's deputies are investigating LeJeune's death because his home at 2600 W. Lake Eloise Drive Unit 16 is outside Winter Haven's city limits. Their investigation is still ongoing, but Polk County's medical examiner, Dr. Stephen Nelson, said LeJeune's death appears to be an intentional overdose. He is awaiting toxicology reports before making a final ruling. The report can take six weeks before it's ready.

Nelson said multiple suicide notes for friends and acquaintances were found near LeJeune. Polk County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Carrie Eleazer confirmed deputies found the notes but would not elaborate about what they contained, citing an ongoing investigation.

The school's football players were called together Thursday for a team meeting to discuss the former coach's death. Crisis counselors also were there, Tate said.

"Obviously, we were all devastated and crushed because Tommy had been a dear member of our team ... (We needed) to talk through the loss of someone who meant so much to us," Tate said.

LeJeune meant a lot to the players, Tate said.

[ Ryan Little can be reached at ryan.little@theledger.com or 863-401-6962. Follow him on Twitter @LedgerRyan. Bill Kemp can be reached at bill.kemp@newschief.com or 863-401-6966. ]

<p>WINTER HAVEN | A Winter Haven High School assistant football head coach who died Tuesday appears to have committed suicide as a police investigation uncovered his embezzlement of thousands of dollars from a booster club fund.</p><p>Thomas "Tommy" LeJeune, 50, was found dead in his mobile home on West Lake Eloise Road on Tuesday by Winter Haven police who were asked to check on his well-being because he had not shown up for work at Regency Center for Women and Infants in Winter Haven, police said.</p><p>The death appears to be a suicide, Polk's medical examiner said. It occurred just days after LeJeune failed to arrange an interview with Winter Haven police as part of an investigation that found he used a Blue Devils Touchdown Club credit card to improperly rent cars and hotel rooms and buy prescription drugs, among other purchases, at a cost of almost $25,000.</p><p>Winter Haven Police also are investigating allegations that the coach purchased alcohol and rented hotel rooms for Winter Haven High School football players and students. But they have yet to confirm those allegations and know of no victims, Winter Haven Police Chief Gary Hester said.</p><p>No Blue Devils Touchdown Club officer has been willing to comment about the investigation or LeJeune's death. Reached by phone Friday, club President Helen O'Leary declined to comment. </p><p>"Please don't ask me about this," O'Leary said. Then she hung up.</p><p>Club treasurer Jane Donalson did not return calls seeking comment. The club's only other officer was LeJeune. He was the vice president and was roommates with O'Leary's son, Daniel O'Leary, who also is a Winter Haven assistant football coach.</p><p>Winter Haven High School Principal Gina Williams acknowledged the investigation into LeJeune but said there had been no suspicions of improper activity by LeJeune before that.</p><p>LeJeune had resigned his position as a community coach before his death, Winter Haven football head coach Charlie Tate said Friday. As a community coach, he was paid but was not an employee at the school. He was subject to the School Board's background checking procedures, though.</p><p>Tate said LeJeune resigned during the winter break, citing personal reasons. At the time, Tate did not know of an investigation, he said.</p><p>"I didn't get all the details, but he felt like at this point in time he didn't have the time to continue with what he had been doing," Tate said.</p><p>"He did not express that (he was under investigation) to me. But obviously, at this point in time it seems to be a reality."</p><p>Tate declined to discuss the allegations against LeJeune but said he had never received a complaint about the coach.</p><p>"Tommy was a very loyal, very hard-working, very committed to ensuring that our kids had a great experience," Tate said.</p><p>"He came to work on a daily basis. He was in charge of our equipment and did a great job."</p><p>LeJeune has been a Winter Haven High football coach for 12 years and is known to frequent the school's other sporting events, Williams said.</p><p>Police say the embezzling began in April 2010 and that touchdown club officers were aware of it before the department began its investigation Dec. 20 after Williams notified them, Hester said.</p><p>"Apparently at some point, the booster club members had already approached him ... and wanted to give him the opportunity to pay them back," Hester said.</p><p>The Winter Haven police investigation intensified Jan. 3, Hester said, when police were able to determine $24,815.94 had been spent on things not related to the support of the football program. About $16,000 was spent on rental cars alone, Hester said. Another $1,400 was withdrawn from an ATM. The money also was spent at Publix pharmacies, Walmart, motels and hotels and restaurants. </p><p>LeJeune used a Touchdown Club credit/debit card to make the purchases, police said. Tate said he was a liaison between the football team and the booster club and became the vice president of the club about four years ago.</p><p>The amount of money embezzled could be higher, Hester said. Despite his death, the investigation is ongoing.</p><p>LeJeune was aware of the investigation before his death, Hester said. </p><p>"We had actually monitored communication between him and other folks where he had stated that the investigation was occurring and that we would find additional things that he had misappropriated," Hester said.</p><p>Polk County sheriff's deputies are investigating LeJeune's death because his home at 2600 W. Lake Eloise Drive Unit 16 is outside Winter Haven's city limits. Their investigation is still ongoing, but Polk County's medical examiner, Dr. Stephen Nelson, said LeJeune's death appears to be an intentional overdose. He is awaiting toxicology reports before making a final ruling. The report can take six weeks before it's ready.</p><p>Nelson said multiple suicide notes for friends and acquaintances were found near LeJeune. Polk County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Carrie Eleazer confirmed deputies found the notes but would not elaborate about what they contained, citing an ongoing investigation.</p><p>The school's football players were called together Thursday for a team meeting to discuss the former coach's death. Crisis counselors also were there, Tate said.</p><p>"Obviously, we were all devastated and crushed because Tommy had been a dear member of our team ... (We needed) to talk through the loss of someone who meant so much to us," Tate said.</p><p>LeJeune meant a lot to the players, Tate said.</p><p>[ Ryan Little can be reached at ryan.little@theledger.com or 863-401-6962. Follow him on Twitter @LedgerRyan. Bill Kemp can be reached at bill.kemp@newschief.com or 863-401-6966. ]</p>